D-complex

2016

Clara is a nurse. Antonin, a pizza chef. Souli, Kyo, Anthea, Johan, students. Diego, an educator. Quentin, a web designer. Inspired by their differences, their authenticity,
their vulnerabilities, and their passion for freestyle, Ismaël Mouaraki built on the identities and the stories of these eight incredibly talented interpreters to create a unique
choreographic piece.

“When I first started working with the dancers, it seemed like they felt out of place. Their resistance, their distance was palpable, their fragility translated into defensive reactions.
That’s where the idea of removing complexes, of “de-complexing” dance came from, an attempt to tackle the archaic hierarchy of dance, to emancipate the physical and corporeal identities of
the dancers, because dance is democratic, not an elitist privilege. Dance is the embodiment of the desire to transcend the self, to let get go, to risk, to evolve. It is the expression of
humanity and of life itself. Contemporary dance can often seem inaccessible and contrary to the visceral and identity-based urban dances. But dance belongs to urban
dancers just as much as any other, they need to take ownership, to adapt their own physical and aesthetic interpretations. In D-Complex, I brought the dancers' practices within a
contemporary frame and a choreographic signature that I developed over the past 20 years. This meant gaining the trust of the interpreters to let them unveil their deepest selves. That has been a
real challenge for me! I felt like a sculptor, moulding and shaping raw material to let the diamond shine through. The dancers are the raw material of this piece, they are the heart of this
piece”.

D-Complex is a choreographic work about urgency, human distress, contact and lack thereof, touching, feeling, to let go on stage. By giving room to the physical expression of each
of the dancers, Ismael Mouaraki wants to give a voice to the diversity of practices, to listen to the vulnerabilities of the bodies and sensitivities.